Island



G. A. CONVERSE. Galvanic-Battery Cell.

Patented Feb. 10, I880.

.PETERS. PHOTOJJ'INOGRAFNER. WASHINGTON, D. L

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

'eEOReE A. oONvERSE, OE UNITED STATES NAvY, ASSIGNOR To WALTER N. .HILL,TRUSTEE, OF NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND.

GALV ANlC-BATTERY cam..

SPEGIFiGATiON forming 5m of Letters Patent No. 224,328, dated. February10, 1880.

Application filed gn gust 11, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. CONVERSE, of the United States Navy, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Galvanic-Battery Cells;and I do hereby declare that the following specification, taken inconnection with the drawings furnished and forming a partof the same, isa clear, true, and complete description of my invention.

The object sought by me is a. galvanic-battery cell particularlyadaptedfor use on shipboard and elsewhere under similar changeable andexposed conditions. Such a battery-cell should be well inclosed andelectricallyiusulated, so as to retain its contents in various abnormalpositions, and to be capableof prac tical use in wet or damp places, oreven under water. It should also be compact in form, simple in itsconstruction, easily and promptly accessible internally, notliable'to bedamaged through rough usage or accident, and, so far as may beconsistent with these several requirements, the cell should beattainable at low cost.

For the attainment of these ends my invention consists, mainly, in azinc shell or cup embedded in an insulating and. protecting jacket whichwholly incloses theexterior of the zinc cup-that is to say, not onlyarethe bottom and outside wallsof the zinc cupiuclosed, but its upperedge also. It is also desirable that said jacket be extended downwardfrom the upper edge over and upon the inner surface of the cup when acap is employed therewith, as hereinafter described. Itis of practicalvalue that the upper edgeof the zinc cup be protected by the jacket,thereby obviating accidental conductivity from one battery to another inthe same series, as from contact with loose wires, wet lines, 850.Moreover, when the upper edge of the zinccup is exposed it is liable tobe speedily corroded, and zinc salts accumulate thereon to ahighly-objectionable extent. This jacket may be composed of any goodinsulating material which has sufficient rigidity and strength toproperly perform the protecting function; but I prefer to usegntta-percha, kerite, papier-mach, or such other material as will admitof the cup being closely embedded thereiln 'a-nd thus attain a solid,firm, and durable structure.

My invention further consists inth combination, with a battery-cellcomposed of -zinc embedded in an insulating and protecting jacket, of aflexible cap composed of insulating material, which tightly engages atits periphery with thejacket of the cell, and has a central opening fortightly embracing the neck of the negative, element.

i am well aware that glass battery-cells have heretofore been providedwith caps com-' posed of insulating material and secured in a closedposition by means of bolts and nuts; and that glass cells have beenincased or jacketed in wood and other insulating and protectingmaterial; and that battery-cells of glass and of metal have beeninclosed within cases or boxes, as in therapeutic electrical apparatus;and also that zinc has heretofore been used in the form of a shell orcup, both with and without anopen Ora perforated bottom,

for use independently or within a separate cell or vessel which containsthe excitant liquid, and also havinga closed bottom, so as to serve as areceptacle for fluid.

I am also aware that carbon cups have heretofore been coated onthebottom and outer sides with a Waxy mixture for attainingimpermeability as to the exoitant fluid within the cup, and that anexteriorfcasing has also been provided therefor, composed of indiarubberor other soft elasticinate-rial. Such cells are not, however,whollyinclosed by said soft and elastic casings; but, on the contrary,their upper edges are? fully exposed to wasteful and obj ectionableconductivity, and the bottoms of the cups rest upon a layer of waxymaterial. Carbon cups thus constructed would have insufficient strengthto warrant their use in the service for which my cells are speciallyadapted.

To more particularly describe myinveni-ion I will refer to theaccompanying drawings, in

which-- V Figure 1 represents, in side view, one of my battery-cellscomplete. Fig. 2 represents the same in central vertical section. Fig. 3represents the flexible cap detached.

edge, and also a small portion of its interior surface below said edge,as at a. I deem it desirable that the zinc cup and the jacket should beas closely united as possible, to afford a firm solid structure andprevent any movement of the cup independent of its jacket.

The jacket may be composed of any suitable insulating material whichwill matEi ally contribute to the strength of the cell, and I find thatgutta-perchais well adapted to the purpose, because of its rigidity andthe facility with which it may be applied in close contact with thezinc; but there are other wellknown materials which can be employed withsubstantially the same results; and I do not therefore limit myinvention to a jacket of any particular material, provided that saidjacket, when considered Without reference to the zinc, constitutes in"itself a strong, rigid, cup-like structure which will be capable ofresisting external pressure and properly supporting the negative elementresting on the upper edge of the jacket, even after the zinc cup hasbeen so far decomposed as to have no self-sustaining capacity as a cupor cell.

The cap 0 is preferably composed of elastic vulcanized rubber. It iscircular in form and has a central opening, I). The periphery c of thecap is fitted to forcibly engage with the surface of an annular recess,cl, provided therefor in the jacket B at that portion thereof whichoverlaps the top of the zinc cup on its inner side.

The cap is preferably in the form of a frustum of a cone, and itsperipherical dimension at the base is such that it must be contracted toenter the annular recess (1, and then, by its uniform expansion, topress tightly against the jacket and make a fiuid-tightjoint therewith.On the contrary, the inside dimension of the opening b at the top of thecap is such that it must be expanded to receive the neck D of thenegative element, (which may also be annularlyrecessed,) so that bycontraction it will also make a fluid-tight joint with the neck, andthus render the cell fluidtight.

For enabling the battery to be supplied with liquid, and to afford theoccasional escape of gases, a hole, 0, is made in the flexible cap,

braced within it as to afiord no passage for air q or liquid.

The post f is applied to the zinc cup through the edge of the jacket atthe top, as shown.

It will be seen that the zinc cup, being thus protected and inclosed, isnot liable to injury from rough usage or to spill its contents, and itis well insulated electrically, so that it may be used under variableconditions and circumstances of exposure, and also that the opening andclosing of the cell can be promptly and easily effected.

The economical utilization of the zinc and its j acket in forming abattery-cell is of considerable practical consequence.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent l. A galvanicbatterycell composed of a zinc cup,operating as a receptacle for excitant liquid and as a battery element,solidly embedded within a strong, rigid inclosing-jaeket, whichinsulates the bottom, outer side, and upper edge of the cup, andconstitutes in itself a cup-like structure capable of securelymaintaining the zinc element in its cylindrical form regardless of itslack of bulk and strength, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a battery-cell composed of a zinc cupinclosedwithin an insulating and protecting jacket, of a flexible cap fit-. tedat its periphery to tightly engage with the jacket of the cell, andprovided with a central opening for tightly engaging with the neck ofthe negative element, substantially as described. V

GEORGE A. CONVERSE.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL G. CONE, CHARLES F. ORVIS.

